


P.S. I Love You

by rosebud_writer



Category: Dead Poets Society (1989)
Genre: 3+1, Check the movie yall, Could be during canon, Disaster Bi Charlie Dalton, Fluff, I wrote this because I wanted to, It is spelled with a "ph", Lovey-Dovey, M/M, Secret Softie Charlie Dalton, Short & Sweet, Stephen Meeks is a sweetheart, Touch-Starved, Welton Era, or whenever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:29:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27666820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosebud_writer/pseuds/rosebud_writer
Summary: There were three times that Charlie really said “I love you” to Meeks before they figured out anything between them.A true scientist, Meeks had plenty of evidence to back this up.
Relationships: Charlie Dalton/Steven Meeks
Comments: 2
Kudos: 48





	P.S. I Love You

**Author's Note:**

> Title from the song of the same name by Frank Sinatra

There were a lot of ways that Charlie Dalton told Stephen Meeks he loved him. Even before they had ever kissed, Meeks noticed how Charlie acted, though he wasn’t sure if Charlie even knew what he was doing. At first, they were just little things: how Charlie looked at him first when he told a joke to see if Meeks was laughing, when he brought Meeks dinner when he had skipped to study, how Charlie was always looking to spend time with him, or how they always seemed to be sitting by each other. 

Meeks had liked Charlie for a long time, much longer than he’d have liked to admit. Sure, Charlie was cocky and a bit of a troublemaker, but there was something else about him that Meeks had always been drawn to. Charlie tried to be a bad boy, but Meeks knew from the start that it wasn’t who he really was. 

A true scientist, Meeks had plenty of evidence to back this up. There was the fact that Charlie would check up on all of the boys during finals week (especially Meeks, as he found out), or that Charlie somehow knew all of their favorite foods. What really solidified it for him, however, was the way Charlie would talk to him. 

There were three times that Charlie really said “I love you” to Meeks before they figured out anything between them. 

The first time was during study group, Meeks was the only one who could actually understand what was going on in their Trigonometry class (much to Cameron’s distaste). He had just finished explaining a concept, leaning between Knox and Charlie, very much aware of how Charlie’s shoulder pressed into his side (was he getting closer? Meeks couldn’t tell, but he was warm).

“God, Meeks,” Charlie said, leaning back in his chair (definitely more into Meeks’s chest, there was no mistaking it), “I love you, what would we do without you?”

Meeks froze, hoping that he wasn’t as red as he feared. What was he supposed to say to that? Had Charlie said he loved any of them before? Should he say it back? He wanted to say it back.

“Yeah,” Knox added with a grin, “you’re a lifesaver, Meeks.” 

He’d missed it, he’d missed any tiny chance he had with Charlie. Hell, he wasn’t even sure if that really meant anything, but it felt like it did. Meeks bit his lip before giving them a nervous smile.

“Of course, anything for you guys.”

For a genius, Meeks was kind of an idiot sometimes.   
~  
The second time Charlie told Meeks he loved him was when Charlie was sick.   
Correction: when Charlie was terribly hungover. 

They had all been drinking the night before, something strong from a flask that Charlie had produced out of seemingly nowhere. Everyone had been a little drunk, even Todd! But Charlie and Neil were seemingly possessed by something that kept them going and going, and the next day they were paying for it. Luckily for them, it was a Saturday. 

Meeks figured Neil was alright, he had Todd to take care of him. But Meeks had yet to see Charlie that morning and it wasn’t like him to miss breakfast, even hungover. When he asked Knox and Pitts, they just laughed.

“I dunno, Meeksie,” Knox said,”he was going at it pretty hard last night.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he accidentally smothered himself or something, seems like something Charlie would do,” Pitts added with a snort.

Though the others all laughed, Meeks couldn’t help but worry a little. It really would be like Charlie to do that, or pass out in some stairwell and get detention. Meeks figured he’d better go check on him. While slipping out, Meeks grabbed a muffin from the table. They were a little dry and cumbly, but he figured it was better than nothing. 

Charlie’s room was dark when Meeks pushed open the door, he could barely make out the curled figured under the blankets on the bed. His friend (the word friend never felt right, but what other word was he supposed to use?) didn’t even react to the creaking door or footsteps. Meeks was starting to really worry now. 

To Meeks’s relief, Charlie was not dead. He rolled over slightly when Meeks sat on the bed.

“Leave me alone, Knox,” his muffled voice came through the pillow. 

“It’s just me, Charlie,” Meeks was taken aback at how rough his voice sounded. 

At the sound of his voice, Charlie turned over completely. He looked exhausted, even in the dim light that tried to come in from the window. 

“Oh, hey,” Charlie’s voice was a little high… If Meeks didn’t know any better, he might have thought Charlie was embarrassed. 

“I, uh,” Meeks stumbled, maybe he was the one who should be embarrassed, why did he just walk right in? 

Charlie squinted expectantly at him, hair a mess and hanging over his eyes, it was almost cute. Meeks swallowed nervously.

“I brought you this,” he placed the muffin next to a glass of water on the windowsill (someone else must have stopped in, not Cameron, surely), “no one said they’d seen you, I just wanted to make sure you were… alright.”

“Thanks, Meeksie,” Charlie said with a smile, his voice was soft and low now, “I don’t deserve you.”

Meeks was trying to come up with something to say as Charlie sat himself up, when a terrible groan spilled from the other boy’s lips. 

“Charlie? What is it?” 

“It’s fine, nothin.” He tried to flash a smile Meeks’s way, but Meeks knew when Charlie’s smiles were real. This was not one of them. 

“Is it your head?” Meeks asked gently, moving closer and brushing away Charlie’s unruly hair without thinking, “I could probably get some aspirin outta Spaz-”

He stopped short as Charlie leaned into his palm, he didn’t say a thing as Charlie’s face rested heavily into Meeks’s hand. His eyelashes fluttered a little and they both were quiet for a beat. 

“Why don’t we just get you some water?” Meeks could hear himself saying, his other hand reaching for the glass without taking eyes off Charlie. He pressed the glass to Charlies lips, “Come on, I promise it’ll help.”

Their fingers brushed on the glass too, Meeks was glad it was dark and that Charlie was too dizzy to see him. 

Meeks sat with him for a long while after the water was gone. At some point, when he thought Charlie fell asleep, Meeks began to comb his fingers through Charlie’s hair. When he finally got up to leave, he heard Charlie mumble something. 

It was only until he was back in his rooms did Meeks realize that Charlie had said he loved him.   
~  
The third time wasn’t in person, but Meeks figured it still counted. He had just gotten out of Mathmatics Club and was about to open his English textbook up to study when Meeks noticed a small, ragged folded paper stuck under his pen. The handwriting was slanted and a mess, like a 10 year old’s, but Meeks found it endearing. It could only be from Charlie.

It read:  
Meeksie- Study group tonight? If I have to spend one more   
hour with Cameron, I’ll BLOW my brains out!   
No pressure :)  
Love, Charlie

His fingers traced over the “love.” Meeks was glad he was alone because he must have been blushing. He supposed he’d better get a headstart on their assignments, because he knew Charlie would be bent on distracting Meeks, not that he really minded.   
~  
Meeks wasn’t sure when the two of them became “official,” it had just kind of always made sense. But it was nice, nice to hold Charlie’s hand under the table and to steal kisses in abandoned classrooms. They were an unusual pair, but they made each other smile. 

It was funny, when they started fooling around a little more, Charlie stopped saying “I love you” to Meeks. It didn’t bug him exactly, mostly because they said it in other ways. With kisses to the hands or neck and borrowed sweaters. 

He did tell Meeks eventually. They were on a walk during lunch, the sun was bright but cold and Meeks was a little cold. Charlie had stuffed their hands in his pocket. They had been talking music, that’s what they usually talked about, but Charlie seemed a bit nervous. 

They were in the middle of discussing the latest record Charlie wanted (Sinatra’s latest) when he stopped walking. 

“Meeks, I have’ta tell you something,” he was looking at their hands, cheeks flushed pink from the cold. In any other situation, Meeks might have been nervous, but he could tell that this wasn’t bad.

“What is it, Charlie?” his voice was shaky from the breeze.

“I think I’m in love with you,” Charlie said, a face full of earnest worry. Meeks just smiled, Charlie was confused, “don’t make fun of me, Meeksie- I’m serious.”

“I’m not making fun!” Meeks laughed a little, “Promise.”

Charlie stuck out his lip.

“I love you too, I’ve known for a long time.” 

It was Charlie’s turn to laugh, pulling Meeks in by the waist. They could have said more or said they loved each other again, but they didn’t need to. They both had known for long time.

**Author's Note:**

> Still trash and still alive. 
> 
> More to come, bless for thanksgiving break.
> 
> <3 Rose


End file.
